Gorbachev Scolds Bonn on Arms Issues

MOSCOW — Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev criticized the West German government on arms issues during a “rather frank” exchange of views Monday with Bonn’s foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, a Soviet spokesman said.

Genscher, who arrived Sunday, spent three hours in the Kremlin with Gorbachev discussing the entire range of bilateral and international issues, Foreign Ministry spokesman Gennady Gerasimov said. Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze sat in on the meeting.

“It was rather frank, completely open,” Gerasimov told a briefing, using diplomatic phrasing that indicates differences. “The effort by our two countries to ensure peace in Europe has been stressed.”

But Gerasimov made clear that there was strong criticism of the West German approach to that issue, saying the country “is literally stuffed with American nuclear weapons.”

“We are sure that the Federal Republic of Germany can make a valuable contribution to stabilizing the situation in Europe. Mr. Genscher very often speaks about many measures that can be taken,” Gerasimov said. “But that should be in agreement with actions,” he added.